(NEXSTAR/WJW) – A tourist to the Turks and Caicos was severely injured by a shark earlier this month, local officials said.
The incident occurred on the island of Providenciales on Feb. 7, according to the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR). The tourist "had attempted to engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs,” the department wrote on Facebook.
A report from The New York Times, citing a tourism department for the Turks and Caicos, identified the victim as a 55-year-old female from Canada. (The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force had also previously said the victim was a 55-year-old female.)
The DECR did not detail the extent of the woman’s injuries, though a GoFundMe fundraiser organized by a person identifying himself as the victim’s brother-in-law has indicated that the shark bit off the woman's hands. The New York Times, too, had previously reported that the woman had lost her hands as a result of the incident.
“While on what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation, my sister-in-law and her husband, my brother, lived what can only be described as a nightmare,” Al Chevarie, the fundraiser’s organizer, said.
Chevarie claimed that the victim was initially bitten on her thigh, and then put her hands out in front of her to try to protect herself, only for the shark to “cut off both.”
“This is something that has completely altered their life in the blink of an eye,” Chevarie wrote.
Following the incident, the tourist was taken to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in Providenciales “where she was stabilized” and then flown off the island for additional treatment, the DECR wrote.
As of Monday, the DECR was unable to identify which species of shark was responsible for the attack, but noted that it appeared “approximately 6ft in length.”
The Blue Hills beach was closed in the days following the attack, but has since reopened “after it was determined that the shark had moved to deeper water,” the DECR wrote.
Instances of sharks biting humans, meanwhile, remain relatively rare. The University of Florida has investigated 88 such cases globally in 2024, including several that could not be confirmed, a few that only caused damage to boats, and two that were considered “doubtful.” Of the confirmed cases, researchers said 47 were unprovoked, while 24 were considered “provoked bites.”
A representative for Global Affairs Canada, in a statement shared with Nexstar, said it was aware of a Canadian citizen who "experienced an accident" and was working to gather additional information concerning the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The bureau did not disclose any additional information on the victim or her condition.
Officials in the Turks and Caicos, meanwhile, are currently urging its residents and visitors to take precautions in the water.
“The DECR would like to urge the public to always be aware of your surroundings, follow local advisories, and respect marine life. Swim in designated areas, avoid murky waters, never swim alone, and do not attempt to feed marine wildlife under any circumstances,” the DECR wrote.